Tamashi no Joka Sochi
by MewStar0013
Summary: She ignored it at first. As her family said, she's probably just seeing the ghost as a phase. But now, by meeting a Soul Reaper named Riku, Ichigo Kurosaki must now deal with becoming a shinigami. Fem!Ichigo and other genderbents. More info inside. R & R.
1. Chapter 1

_**Tamashi no Joka Sochi**_

**Yep, I made a new story. Here are the reasons why.**

**1. There aren't much Fem!Ichgo stories out there so I'm adding one to the list.**

**2. This is a request sent to me by Vampy-chan321.( Man, me and her just share the same mind or somethingXD)**

**Anyway, as I and the summary have said, this story will have the same plot as the original **_**Bleach**_** only a few characters will be genderbent and such. Parings will come and it will still have the awesomeness of **_**Bleach **_**that all of you readers love. If you have any genderbent request, just ask me. Don't be shy.**

**Alright, I better stop my stalling and I'll post up the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Bleach**_** or any other material I use in this fic.**

**Now lets get this chapter rolling!**

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><p><strong><em><span>Prologue<span>_**

_We stand in awe before that in which can not be seen._

_And we respect with every fiber that of which can not be explained._

_And so fell the sword of fate…_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter One:<strong>_

_**The Girl Who Sees Ghosts**_

"So what do you gotta say for yourself, bitch? You think you can just waltz around and beat up one of my pals?"

"Hn."

"What did you say! You little-!"

There was the sickening sound of a bone snapping. For a fifteen-year-old, the girl had a hell of a foot. The man she kicked at groaned, cursing as his groin ached from the girl's kick. The girl kicked at him repeatedly, snapping and breaking his bones as she did.

"W-We gotta stop her!" exclaimed one of the man's lackey's, shaking in his shoes.

"Are you crazy! No way! This bitch is tough!" exclaimed another man, his other pals nodding uneasily. The girl gave one final kick, just for good measure, and she looked at the other three, her chocolate-brown eyes darkening with controlled rage.

"OK, you dipshits! What the hell do you see right there! You, the one in the middle!" she demanded, pointing to the thug in the middle. The guy nearly screamed and he trembled at the girl's glowering face. He looked behind her for a brief second, seeing a small bottle of spilt white roses from behind.

"W-W-W-Well, some people left some flowers from that kid who died around here and-"

"Right!" yelled the girl as she sucker punched in him the face, his friends gasping as the man fell to the ground, holding his broken and bloody nose. The girl's glare went, if possible, colder.

"Alright, here's the next question. Why the hell is the vase knocked over?" she asked in a snarled tone. Both men flinched.

"W-W-Well, I guess that's b-because we were skating by and o-o-one of us knocked it over." stuttered one of the men with his buddy nodding in a agreement.

"Y-Y-Yeah, we didn't think-"

"Exactly."

Both men froze as the girl bared her teeth angrily, her pupils narrowing to slits.

"You _didn't _think!" she yelled as she kicked the both of them in the face with an impressive, round-house kick. Both men yelped in pain as they fell to the ground, their two other pals managing to wake up. They all gulped as a fire-like aura surrounded the girl, her appearance looking demotic and hell-bent.

"Now get the fuck out of here, you shit heads! And if you show your goddamn faces around here again, trust me, those flowers are gonna be on _your _graves, got it!" she yelled in pure rage. The group shamelessly screamed like girls and they ran away, giving shouted apologies as they left like dogs with tails between their legs.

The girl breathed deeply as she calmed down. She pulled out the rubber band that held her bright orange hair and she shook her head, letting her slightly spiky and shoulder-length tendrils cascade. She brushed dirt of her jeans and jacket and she turned, smiling slightly at the transparent little girl before her.

"There. I'm sorry for all that commotion. I promise I'll bring you some flowers tomorrow." said the fifteen-year-old, bowing her head a bit as she placed the vase of roses back in it's original position. The girl gave a sweet smile.

"Oh thank you. You came to my defense and we've never even met." said the little girl. The older girl picked up her neglected book bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

"It was my pleasure. After all, you look like a nice girl. You deserve to rest in peace." she said as she walked away, the little girl disappearing just like that.

**_My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm fifteen-years-old, so I'm a high school student. My family runs a medical clinic in town. Maybe it's because we're entrusted with the lives of the living, I'm not so sure._**

**_For as long as I can remember, I've somehow been able to see the souls of the dearly departed._**

Ichigo yawned as she made it to her home, nighttime already rolling by with moon glowing with a few clouds. Sliding her spare key in the front door's key hole, she opened the door, beginning to take off her shoes as she did.

"I'm home-"

"Hyyyyy-yyyyaaa!"

Ichigo nearly yelped as a foot came striking at her face, making her dive to the ground. She ground and she moved to her back, seeing a middle-aged man with spiky black hair and dark eyes with crossed arms.

"Kept your guard down, old girl. Always make sure to expect the unexpected, especially arriving home late when everyone's already at the dinner table." scolded the man. Ichigo snarled under her breath as she got to her feet and got right up in the man's face.

"Is that any way to treat your eldest child! Who happened to help the poor soul of a spirit!" she snapped angrily as the man went forehead-to-forehead with her, his own face looking mad and angry.

"Oh! So it's the ghost fault this time, huh! How 'bout your messy room! Can you explain that, young lady!"

"Get out of my face, old geezer! I clean up my room when I goddamn want to!"

"What did you call me!"

"Stop it! Come and eat dinner, please." asked one of the girls who sat at the dinning room table of the Kurosaki household. She had light, hazel-colored hair and soft brown eyes. The two elders of the family hardly heard her as they tried to beat the crap out of each other.

"Just let them do what they want, Yuzu. This'll blow over soon." said the other girl, her bored look and short black hair matching with the tone of her voice.

Ichigo threw a punch and she caught her dad square in the jaw, sending him flying to the wall. Her orange hair looked messier than before and a vein could been seen right at her forehead.

"Sheesh! Learn to trust me, will ya! A seven o' clock curfew for a high school student is not cool at all!" she yelled.

"Speaking of which , big sis, there's another one of those ghost. Look behind you." said Ichigo's depress-looking sister. The redhead spun around and she nearly cringed at the real, creepy and pedophile-looking man behind her.

"The hell! Get away, sicko! Why do they come here anyway!" yelled the firstborn as she swat her fist at the ghost.

"It's because you're so nice, big sister!" cheered on the sweeter little sister, Yuzu. The other sister, Karin, rolled her eyes as she returned to her rice bowl.

Ichigo huffed and she met her father in a punch, both their fist hitting each others faces. Her dad fell to the ground with a bruised cheek, muttering on how his 'little girl' was getting stronger. Ichigo rolled her eyes as she picked up her book bag.

"Forget it. I'm going to bed." she muttered as she walked out of the room to take the stairs to her room. When she was gone, her father sighed as he sat up on the floor Indian-style.

"Wow, got her that time, dad." said Karin. Her father gaped at her with wide eyes.

"_Me_! What did I do?" he asked with the innocents that could have been confused for a child's, had it not been that he was a middle-aged man. His dark-haired child sat back on her chair.

"It's like this. Ichigo's saying that she's seeing more ghost lately. Remember when you said it's just a figment of her imagination? Well it's been years since that and Ichigo says that she still sees spirits. Face it, dad, Something's up with her." she said. Her fraternal twin nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. She can see and talk to them, dad. She even helps them out, too. She's not lying. Maybe she would like it if you believed in her." said Yuzu. Their father suddenly looked like he was going to wail and he crawled over a poster of a beautiful woman with cinnamon-brown eyes and light brown hair.

"Oh my dearest wife! How can I behave this way to my three little girls! Ichigo is a still growing lady that I can't control and the twins are at that stage of resenting me! Oh what should a I do!" he wailed as he clutched the photo.

"For starters, you can down that poster." muttered Karin as she took a drink of her glass of water.

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><p>Ichigo woke up groggily the next day, feeling like she hadn't slept in ages. With sleep still in her senses, she got up and changed into her school's gray uniform. Glaring at the skirt of her clothing, she walked out of the room, down the stairs, and to the kitchen, where her sisters were already enjoying breakfast.<p>

"Morning." she muttered as she walked over to the table and grabbed slice of toast as her sisters said good morning back. She pulled out the sheet of paper stuck on the fridge and she read it, seeing it was a note from her dad, saying that he was going to be a late night meeting. Her eyes were then set on the TV, where a news report was happening.

"_-And yet no one has discovered what caused these strange and sudden tremors. All appear to happen with the cover of night. We will have more on this story later on. And in later news-"_

"Hey, that place is close to here, right?" asked Ichigo as she ate her small breakfast.

"Yeah, what of it?" asked Karin. The eldest of the Kurosaki children shook her head.

"No reason. See you guys later." she said as she went to the door, grabbed her shoes and book bag, and walked out.

She walked her way to school, eyeing and wondering about the tremors that were going around town. Reports like that had been happening for a couple of days now yet no one could identify on who or what was causing them. Shrugging, Ichigo turned at a corner of a street and spotted a few roses that were growing by a bush. Thinking of the little ghost girl, Ichigo plucked a few of them with out get thorns in her fingers. Smelling the sweet smell, she held the roses in one hand as she walked to the corner where she met the little ghost girl. She looked around and saw no one there.

"Hello? Are you here?" she asked, the wind being her only reply. She suddenly felt something. It was a cold and unsuspecting wind that racked down her spine. Biting her lip, Ichigo placed the roses careful ling in her bag and she ran her way toward main street, feeling more of the chilling and odd feeling. Looking around, an outburst of wing caught her off guard as hundred of people began running and screaming. Ichigo took a step back as plumes of smoke past her and a sudden creature began crawling and stomping near her. The creature was huge and spider-like, crawling like an arachnid with dull-gray skin and an odd, white mask.

"What the hell is that thing?" whispered Ichigo to herself, her eyes widening slightly.

"Ahhh!" the brown-eyes, high school student heard the scream and she spotted the little ghost girl, running quickly. Ichigo looked up and saw the creature come closer. Cursing under her breath, she started sprinting next to the little girl with the creature hot on their tails.

"What is that thing?' asked the little girl as they ran.

"I don't know. Just keep running!" yelled Ichigo as the creature came closer to them. The both of them gasped as they ran into a dead end and they turned, seeing the creature give an odd mix of a howl and screech. The spider monster snarled and lashed out one of it's legs, both Ichigo and little girl yelling at the top of their lungs. Then, something caught Ichigo's eyes.

A black raven…

There was a sudden screech that would have ripped the very fabric of the air and the strange creature came clambering down, using it's many appendages to hold it's bleeding wound. Both Ichigo and the ghost girl gasped as a person now stood before them, the blade of the sword in his hand dripping with the monster's blood. Ichigo blinked as she took a look at the person.

He was short, at least a few inches shorter than Ichigo. He was pale and her had jet-black hair that was done in of sort of style that reminded Ichigo of th head of a cockatoo. He wore a black robe with a white rope around his waist, a hilt right at his hip. His violet-purple eyes glared murderously at the monster as he charged, jumped forward, and slashed at the creature with his weapon. The creature gave a screech as it was struck on the head, the blow making it exploded into disappearing fragments. The boy turned to the two and gave a cool look right before a big wind blew, causing Ichigo to shut her eyes. When she reopened them, the boy and ghost girl were gone.

As people surrounded and checked what was happening, Ichigo remained shell-shocked, wondering on what just happened.

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><p>'<em>Who… Exactly who was that guy?'<em> wondered Ichigo as she laid down on her bed that night, the day's earlier events passing in her mind. The tremor, the monster, the ghost girl, and the boy with the sword. Just what was all that?

'_I don't think I've seen him at school. Gods, what's happening to my life?'_ she wondered as she rolled to her side, resting her cheek against the cold pillow. Her eyes widen when she saw the wing stance of a raven fly by her window. She gasped as someone landed in her room. That someone was the boy from today. The boy looked around the room and he drew out his sword.

"T-The hell! Put that thing away! You're not slicing me up!" snapped Ichigo as she scrambled a bit. The boy didn't even seem to notice her, as if he were in his own focused and trapped up world.

"I sense something… And it's coming close…" the boy said to himself. His eyes widen as the wind from his lungs was knocked out of him by a very powerful kick to his behind, a very mad carrot-top being the deliver.

"Hey! Listen to a person when they're talking to you, idiot! Just because you saved my butt earlier doesn't mean you can just break into my house!" yelled Ichigo at the guy knocked down on her floor. The teen in black looked at her with wide eyes, as if she had grown two heads.

"H-Hold on. You can _see_ me?" he asked. Ichigo rolled her eyes.

"Well, considering that my foot just kicked your ass a second ago, I'd say yes, I can see you, weirdo." she said. The boy stood up and he began poking her in random places. The Kurosaki was beginning to get annoyed, seeing that this guy hadn't even given his name and why he was here. Several veins popped on her forehead when the guy poked her between her breast.

"KEEP YOUR GODDAMN FINGERS TO YOURSELF, PERV!" she yelled angrily as she socked him in the gut, kicking him where the sun don't shine for good measure. The guy groaned on the ground and he shot a glare at the tall girl.

"Shit… No need to get so worked up…" he muttered as he got to his feet while holding his stomach. Ichigo walked to her bed and sat down on it with crossed legs.

"OK, bastard. Just tell me who the hell you are and why I shouldn't call the cops for breaking and entering and sexual assault?" she asked. The guy stood up and gave a cool look.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But you better listen. Because no mere human is suppose to know this."

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><p>Meanwhile, unknown to the two teens, the little ghost girl Ichigo had been seeing was running from something. Something that wasn't after her.<p>

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><p>"So let me get this straight. You're what your people call, a Soul Reaper?" asked Ichigo with a raised brow. The guy nodded silently.<p>

"And your telling me that you were sent here on a mission by team called the Soul Society?"

A nod.

"And you're also saying that your mission is to 'cleanse' the souls of bad spirits. Like that one that attacked us earlier?"

Another nod.

"And that thing, a bad spirit as you say, was only out and about just to get the soul of that ghost girl."

Another nod and one came from Ichigo.

"Yeah, yeah, OK, I believe in you- As much as I believe in flying pigs and the tooth fairy!" yelled the high school teen with a mad look. She grabbed the guy be the front of his robe and dangled him easily in the air.

"What do I look like! Some dippy-ass girl who believes weirdoes like you just because you saved me with some dumb sword! As if! For all I know, all of that could have been special effects for some horror movie or something!" she yelled with bared teeth, looking ready to murder the guy.

The swordsman grabbed her wrist and Ichigo winced slightly, seeing that his hands were strong. Putting him down, she threw the guy a scowl.

"'Sides, your story just sounds beyond belief. How can I believe it?" she asked. The guy brushed dust off his robe.

"Hey, didn't you just admit you could see ghosts? So why think I'm lying, huh?" he asked. Ichigo crossed her arms.

"I'd never said I believe you or think that you're lying. All of this just sounds too farfetched to me. So why don't you go and play swords somewhere else, OK, midget?" she asked, ruffling his hair because she could.

"Midget, huh? Well how about this! Bokudo, number one, strike!" he yelled as he made a striking hand sign. Ichigo yelped as she suddenly went down to the floor, on her knees with one of her arms around her back with her chest to the floor.

"The hell is this!" she yelled as she tried to get up, not doing so since it was like heavy chains were holding her down. The guy above her gave a slight smirk.

"Paralysis. What I just did is call Kido, a high level incantation that only a few Soul Reapers know. It's useless to fight against it so I suggest you'd be a good girl and think twice before ever calling me midget or any other term of the word. Now," the young man suddenly brought out his sword and raised it in the air.

Ichigo closed her eyes for a split second, thinking that the attack was for her. She then heard a cry not her own and her eyes opened again, seeing that the guy had struck the ghost guy that bugged her yesterday.

"Please… I don't want to go to the Underworld." begged the man. The guy smiled kindly.

"Fear not. You are meant for a better after life. With this seal, you will be sent to the Soul Society." he said as the room glowed and the man disappeared, a small raven fluttering in his place as it hopped out from the window and soared into the nighttime sky.

"What-What just happened? Where did that guy go?" asked Ichigo from her locked spot on the floor. The Soul Reaper sheathed his sword to his hilt.

"Alright, now I'll give you the reason on why I was sent here. I'll use layman's terms so that you can even comprehend what I'm saying." said the guy as he pulled out a sheet of paper from the breast pocket of his robe. Ichigo blinked with a sort of scowl as she looked at the two drawings of tiger heads with different designs and squiggles on them.

"There are two types of spirits in this world; the Wholes and the Hallows. The Wholes are what you see, the good kind who want nothing more than to 'pass on,' as humans put it. The Hallows are the bad kind who want to devourer the souls of all things, dead or alive other wise. Any questions before I continue?" asked the guy, holding up his drawing.

"Yeah, two actually. One, why do you suck at drawing? And two, why tigers? You got a fetish for them or something?" she asked. The boy scowled at her before he folded up his paper.

"Ignoring that, I'll just continue. There are two main jobs of a Soul Reaper. First, to allow souls to move on to the Soul Society. Second, to rid of the Hallows who interfere with the balance of Wholes." said the reaper.

"OK, I get that. But why was that one 'Hallow' from before going after that little girl?" asked Ichigo. The guy gripped a part of his hair from behind his head.

"I still don't know about that one. We of the Soul Society are still trying to figure out why the Hallows do these wicked things. As we speak, there is another Hallow wandering around he. It's looking for something… But I'm not sure what." he said. Ichigo gave a huff.

"Well maybe you should just kill it before it get's what it wants. Didn't you just say that Hallows were bad spirits?" she asked. The guy took a seat on the ground with closed eyes.

"The thing is, I can't senses it's presences. It's like some sort of other power is jamming my senses and-"

"Oi! Are you stupid or what! If you can't sense it, then just hear it like the rest of us are doing!" yelled Ichigo, a screech of an odd murderous howl ripping through the air. The guy gasped and a blood-curdling scream caught both the teens attentions, Ichigo's eyes widening more.

"Yuzu! That thing is with my sisters!" exclaimed the redhead. The reaper stood up and he opened the door, a sudden strong draft blowing past him as he did.

'_This pressure… Why didn't I sense it before!'_ he mentally exclaimed as something crawled past him.

"I-Ichig-go!" exclaimed Yuzu as she crawled, bruises and scratches along her face. Ichigo gasped and she tried to move.

"Y-Yuzu! What happened!" she exclaimed, trying to break of the spell on her. Yuzu looked at her big sister pleadingly with tears gathering in her eyes.

"Bi-Big sister… It has… It has… Karin! You have to… Have to save her… Pl-Please!" begged the little girl before she fainted from exhaustion. There was another scream and explosion of stone and the swordsman was already sprinting down the stairs, Ichigo cursing at him as she tried to get up.

The black-haired man made his way to the wrecked living room, just in time to see Karin in the gruesome arms of a large and ugly-looking Hallow, this one more terrifying than the one from earlier. He drew out his sword just as Ichigo came tumbling down the stairs, still locked in paralysis. That didn't seem to stop her as she got to her feet and breathed heavily.

'_How could she stand up? It's impossible!'_ thought the young man as the high school girl staggered her way to him, her brown eyes catching her little sister in the clutches of the monster. She tried to charge forward when the reaper held her back.

"Are you crazy! That thing could kill you with one swoop!" he yelled Ichigo pushed him back as she tried to move her arms from her back, growling as she did. The young man grinded his teeth at her.

"Stop that, stupid! If you fight it, you'll only cause damage your soul!" he yelled. He gasped when he felt an odd sensation of warmth radiate off Ichigo as she fought against invisible chains of Kido. His eyes widen as the carrot-top broke free of the Kido, her breath irregular from all her struggling.

'_How did she do that! No human can break Kido! Is she… Could she be different?'_ he wondered, suddenly cursing when he saw that Ichigo was already charging forward with an umbrella as her makeshift weapon.

"Get your claws off my sister!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she took a swing at the Hallow, leaping as the creature tried to catch her with his other hand. The monster hallowed in pain as the man suddenly sprang up and slashed at it with his sword, making it drop the fainted Karin. Ichigo caught her in time just as the young man landed and the ground. The Hallow disappeared with out a trace.

"Karin! Wake up, come on!" called Ichigo, shaking her sister a bit.

"Relax. That Hallow left without taking you sisters' soul. It seems… It was after another soul." said the young, sword-wielding man. Ichigo looked up at him.

"Do you mean… Does that mean it wasn't after the little girl's soul either? Then what! What soul is it after! Does it want that soul that much to hurt my family!" she yelled. The young man gulped before turned to Ichigo, his look serious.

"Yes. It appears that the soul it was after… Was yours." he said. Ichigo's eyes widen and she nearly gave a cry. The young man continued.

"For whatever reason they had… It seems that those Hallows were only using the little ghost girl to track you down. There must be something about your soul… Something that they want…" muttered the swordsman. The both of them were silent before they heard another howl and the both of them turned to see that the Hallow had returned, anger evident on it's white mask of a face.

"It's back! Go on, get out of here! Move!" yelled the young man as she bared his sword. Ichigo placed Karin down away from the action and she stared at the beast, her hands turning into beast as her eyes narrowed in a feral way.

"No. I _won't_. That monster just got that little ghost girl hurt and my sisters could have died back there, just because of me. Do you expect me to just run away like a coward!" she yelled as she ran past him and to the Hallow, her furious eyes boring to the Hollow's.

"Hey! If you wanna fight someone, fight me! I won't just sit around and let a bastard like you kill innocent people! Come on, you and me, one on one! Come and get me, you son of a bitch!" she screamed as the Hallow gave a sickening screech. With snapping jaws, the creature lunged for Ichigo, the redhead glaring her hardest as it struck.

There was another screech and the Soul Reaper was before Ichigo, his sword struck and blood pouring down the wound on his back. The Hallow staggered back with blood coming out of it's injured jaw.

"S-Soul Reaper…" stuttered Ichigo as the man with the sword fell to his knees, blood coming out from his back and the corner of his mouth.

"You are… So stupid! As if you could beat that Hallow… With just brute strength! Even if… Even if you could have somehow won… Another would just return… Waiting and watching until your guard is down…" muttered the man as he crawled to a lamppost, resting against it. He looked up at the fighter girl with a look of sheer questionable knowledge.

"Do you… Really want to save your family from this beast?" he asked, placing his sword on his lap. Ichigo nodded her head frantically as she kneeled to him.

"Yes! More than anything! If there is anyway I can beat that thing, then I'll do it! Just tell me what I have to do." she said, her voice nearly begging. The young man bit his lip before he held the blade of his sword to the girl, his eyes glowering.

"You must take my zanpakuto and strike it at your very being. From there, I will lend you some of my power, making you a temporary Soul Reaper. It's risky, but it seem like our only option." said the young man. Ichigo's eyes held surprise for a second before they darkened and dense with confidence.

"If that's the case, then give me your sword, Soul Reaper." she said. The young man, for the first time tonight, gave a smile.

"Riku. My name is Riku Kuchiki." said Riku. Ichigo took hold of the handle of Riku's zanpakuto just as the Hallow got near them.

"And my name… Is Ichigo Kurosaki!" shouted the girl as she drove the sword to her body. A suddenly flash of blinding blue light took over them and the Hallow backed away as it was blinded. It yelled in pain as it felt as large blade stab it's side. When the light cleared away, Ichigo stood before it, her entire being changed.

She was now changed into a black robe, similar to Riku's. around her waist was a white, rope-like belt and slung over shoulder, kept with her right hand, was a large and strong-looking zanpakuto. Riku's eyes widen as he looked at his own clothing, seeing that he was now wearing a white robe.

'_How did this happen? I only meant to give her some of my power, not all of it!'_ he thought as he watched Ichigo slash and thrash at the Hallow, her arches and attacks looking like she was doing both kendo and ballet.

'_This girl… She is unlike any other Soul Reaper I've met. She can see ghost, she has the intense strength to break free of Kido! And just by the way she wields her zanpakuto, it's_ _like she's be doing this for years. And how large her zanpakuto is… It's beyond all belief!' _thought the violet-eyed man as Ichigo gave a turn, her zanpakuto willing and ready.

"Alright, you piece of Hallow scum. This is for hurting my family! Take this!" yelled the new Soul Reaper as she dashed and brandish her weapon, swinging it in one smooth swoop right through it's very being. The Hallow gave a howl as it was destroyed, shriveling and disappearing into nothing but mere specks of shadows. As the smoke began clearing, Ichigo couldn't hold back the grin on her face. She did it. She won.

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><p><em>And this is how it goes. This is how my whole new life began. One filled with unexplainable adventures and twists. Where I would meet new people, both friend and foe. Where I would face both the forces of Wholes and Hallows. As if my life weren't corrupted enough!<em>

_My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I am fifteen-years old. I have bright orange hair and brown eyes. I go to high school and now, in some odd twist of fate, I have become…_

_A SOUL REAPER!_

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><p><em><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>_

**And there you have it! The very first chapter of this story! So how was it? Give me your feedback and let me know in your reviews, alright? Sorry if there were some mistakes. I am sorry for that. Let me say, thanks, Vampy-chan! This couldn't have been done without you! Remember, if you have any genderbend request or paring ideas, just let me know. I'll take in request^_^**

**Well, I gotta go! Make sure to review and the next chapter will come real soon!**

**This is me saying, Peace!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Two reviews hm? Well, that's not so bad. Though I did have my hopes up just a little. Ah well, the whole point is just to make you readers happy, right? So I shouldn't be whining or anything I guess. Anyway, here's the next chapter for all of you. Hope you like it and lets get this chapter rolling!**

_**Chapter Two: **_

_**The Tasks of a Substitute**_

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><p>Ichigo gave a sigh as the morning rays hit her eyes and woke her from her content sleep. Her ears barely caught the loud shout of-<p>

"WAKE UP, ICHIGO!"

The redhead was able to leap from bed just in time as her father came charging down on her. In a quick swoop, she pinned her dad to the floor with her hand palming harshly on the older man's face, a scowl on her face.

"The hell was that! What kind of a dad attacks his own daughter!" she yelled, annoyed beyond hell. Though, this was a thing her dad did nearly every day so there was no surprise. The male Kurosaki groaned in pain.

"I guess you've learned so much already, Ichigo. My little girl's growing up." he muttered in a fatherly way. Ichigo's scowl faded and she backed off, her mind reeling in on what happened last night.

"H-Hold on. What about Karin and Yuzu? And our house?" she asked. The older man raised a brow.

"You mean that truck that rammed the wall last night? Left a mess, I know. I'm just glad that you and the girls are OK." he said. Ichigo clutched her bangs and looked at the floor, her mind spinning.

'_Truck? Wasn't it that monster or whatever that guy was talking about? What was his name, Rika or Riku or something? I don't know but all this stuff still is a little insane. He said something about souls and Hallows and a lot of other weird stuff… But now that I think about it, maybe it was a dream or something, and a truck did hit the house last night. But that still doesn't explain why none of us woke up to it,'_ Ichigo shook her head with closed eyes. _'Ugh, this is too much. I'm thinking too hard on this crap.'_ she thought.

"Daddy! Big sister! Come down to eat!" called Yuzu from downstairs. The both of them got up and headed downstairs, Ichigo still mulling over her thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ichigo. Heard your house got rammed by a truck. You alright?" asked a boy around Ichigo's age as she made it to class. The fifteen-year-old shrugged nonchalantly as she, the brunet who called her, and two other students gathered around her desk. These were the people who were what Ichigo would classified as, 'good-enough-and-not-even-close-to-jackasses.'<p>

"I'm good. My dad was at work and me and my sisters were, uh… Out of the house, so to speak. So no one got hurt. We just need to clean up a bit, replace the wall, and paint over things." said Ichigo. A girl with short black hair and onyx-black eyes smiled.

"Good to hear, Ichigo." she said politely. Ichigo shrugged.

"Thanks, Mizuki. But I know it's gonna take a long time to fix up the hole in the wall." she said.

"Want me to help out?" asked the deep voice of the last member of the group. He stood tall and bulky with wavy dark brown hair that covered his eyes, his feature being sharp and Hispanic. Ichigo looked at him with a nervous chuckle.

"Eh… Thanks but no thanks, Chad." she said. The other shrugged, going silent again. Ichigo stood and stretched. "I think I'll hit the water fountain before class starts. Be back in a while!" she called as she ran out thee door. She jogged for a bit before she turned a corner and a hand grabbed hers. On instinct, the brown-eyed teen turned and swung her fist, getting the guy in the throat.

"Ouch! Hey, it's me!" snapped Riku, rubbing his sore neck that was reddening from the attack. Ichigo's surprised looked turned into her usual scowl.

"What the hell are you doing here!" she said harshly, since there was no one in the hallways. Riku fixed his hair and gave her a cool look.

"Looking for you. I had no where else to go so I had to use this gigai." he replied. Ichigo leaned on a locker with her arms crossed with one eyebrow raised.

"What do you mean you got no where else to go? Don't you have that Soul Society place or whatever? And just what the heck is a gigai?" she asked. Riku pointed to his chest.

"First of all, this is a gigai. A fake body I can use to stay intact with this world. Second," Riku looked down at that ground with a mad frown on his lips. "I can't go back to the Soul Society because I am no longer a Soul Reaper. You are. Till I get my powers back, it's up to you to protect this world from Hallows and do the tasks of a Soul Reaper." he muttered. Ichigo pushed off the lockers and scowled.

"Like hell I'll do that! I beat that Hallow only to protect my family, nothing more. I'm not gonna be a Soul Reaper just to save people I don't know, so you can forget it!" she snapped. Riku glared back.

"You can't just say no!" he yelled. Ichigo spun her heel and shot a scowl over her shoulder.

"Watch me." she challenged as she began to walk away. She barely made it two feel when something shoved right at her back, a cold feeling sinking into her skin, making her blood run cold. Ichigo yelped as she fell face-first on the ground. Propping up on her arms, she gasped as she saw that she had changed into her Soul Reaper clothes and she saw… Well, herself, lying motionless on the ground.

"What the hell! What did you do to me!" yelled the berry-named girl, gasping as Riku grabbed her hand and yanked her into running, making her sneak past the gates and the two of them running all the way to the park of the city. When the two made it there, they could already see a spider-like Hallow chasing after the spirit of a little boy.

"I've got word from the Soul Society that this Hallow has been terrorizing the spirits of this park. It has proven to be troublesome." said Riku, crossing his arms. Ichigo made a grab for her sword when Riku's hand stopped her, a glare on his face. "And just what do you think you're doing? I thought you said you weren't going to save people you don't know. And if you are choosing to be a Soul Reaper, then you shouldn't be concerned over every distressed soul you see. What's with the sudden change of heart?" he asked harshly with narrowed eyes. Ichigo looked back to the little boy, something flashing in her brown eyes.

"That doesn't mean I won't save the kid!" she yelled as she pried her hand out of the once-Soul Reaper's and pulled out her zanpakuto, running and leaping in the air with a mighty slash. The creature backed off and licked it's wounded lips like a dog, hissing at Ichigo as she took a step back. The ghost boy gave a chocked sob and he ran toward the redhead, wrapping his arms around Ichigo's leg and sobbing into her black robes. Not even flitching at feeling the solid form of the boy, Ichigo lightly petted his head in a consoling manner. Riku only gaped at her as the Hallow got back on it's feet, pawing at the earth to charge again. Ichigo turned her head and sneered at the blackette.

"And what's your excuse? You didn't seem to care that I was just a common soul when that Hallow attacked me and my family last night." she muttered. Riku bit the inside of his cheek but still kept his glare on.

"That's completely different." he muttered back. Ichigo spared a smirk just as the Hallow took charge to ram her. Just before it could snap it's jaws, Ichigo rounded her weapon and struck the Hallow with the blade, the creature obliterating with Ichigo not looking back at all.

"Well, then that's just it, isn't it? That's the reason between me helping this kid and becoming a Soul Reaper. I don't fallow the rules you Soul Reapers fallow. _I _am different." she said seriously. Riku couldn't speak. He had no idea why. He didn't even make a sound as Ichigo stamped the ghost boy with permission to pass on, a fluttering raven flying to the sky as she did so. Ichigo sheathed her katana and walked pass Riku, not speaking at all so that she could go and reclaim her body.

* * *

><p>Ichigo sighed as she took her seat at her desk a few days later at Lunch. So far, she hadn't seen Riku since the last Hallow attack and she could say that she was glad he finally got that she didn't want to be some Soul Reaper. Running her fingers from her still shower-damp hair, Ichigo's eyes wandered to the door and she decided to take a walk. Picking up her school bag, the redhead walked out of the room and walked down the hallway. She paused and noticed a tired-looking girl with dark orange hair and dark gray eyes.<p>

"Something up, Inoue ?" Ichigo asked the girl. Orihime Inoue looked up and smiled slightly at other orangette.

"Oh, I'm fine, Kurosaki-san. I just… Didn't get enough sleep is all. I better get going." she said as she quickly bowed her head and walked away, her footwork in a almost staggering way.

'_That's weird. Inoue is usually a happy person. Maybe she's sick? Nah, she never gets sick. Something's up.'_ thought the female Kurosaki as she continued to walk down the hallway.

"Hey, Ichigo! Lets have some lunch with the others!" called Mizuki from down the hall.

"Yeah, sure." said Ichigo as she fallowed Mizuki to the top of the school's roof, where Chad and their other friend, Kiego, were already opening up their bentos. Ichigo noticed the bandages Chad was sporting.

"What happened to you, Chad? Got in a scrap?" she asked as she sat down with Mizuki. She then saw the white cockatoo sitting in a cage next to her bulky friend.

"And what's up with the bird?" she asked as she opened her bento.

"Got hit by a beamer… Someone…" there was an extremely long pause. "…Gave it to me." said Chad in a calm monotone, pointing to the little bird.

"Hello, my name is Yuichi Shibata. Nice to meet you all." chirped the bird.

"Whoa! That's so damn cool! Say my name next! Kiego, Kay-goh." starched out Kiego, grinning at the bird. Ichigo blinked at the bird in bewilderment, never actually seeing a bird say a complete sentence.

"That's an impressive bird, Sado-san." the four of them snapped their necks over to see Riku standing there, dressed in his school uniform and a juice box in hand.

"Oh, good morning, Riku." said Mizuki with a smile. Riku nodded back and he took a seat next to Ichigo, the fiery redhead shooting a questioning look with knitted brows.

"I won't bother you with the subject anymore." said Riku as he looked at his drink. Ichigo quirked one her eyebrows.

"You swear?" she asked. Riku simply nodded as he shook the carton in his hand a bit before holding it out to the substitute Soul Reaper.

"How do you open this? Is there some kind of sealed compartment or password?" he asked. Ichigo shook her head with her trademark look of annoyance back on her face.

"I swear you act like a five-year-old." she muttered as she plucked off the attached straw and poked the sharp end through the foil-sealed hole. She then handed it back to Riku, who gave a small thanks.

"You seem to be very close to these people." said the black-haired teen as he sipped on his drink.

"Yeah. We've know each other for a while. I've known Mizuki and Kiego for a year and a half. Mizuki was some new girl and Kiego was a skirt-chaser, he still is one. And I've known Chad since the eight grade. Damn," Ichigo looked to the sky and stared at the clouds for a while. "It's been that long already, hm? Since then…" her voice trailed off before she noticed Riku staring at her expectantly. She sighed. "You want the story, huh?" she asked with a little irritableness.

"You don't have to say if you don't want to." said Riku, even though he was curious. Ichigo shrugged and she looked to her friends, who were talking with the bird.

"It's fine. Let's see… It goes like this.

_(Flashback, three years ago)_

"_**Because I of my red hair, it caused me a lot of trouble. Thugs and retards would come and try to beat the crap out of me. It wasn't so bad. Most of the jackasses out there were pretty weak. But I got into one scrap where I was out numbered. These guys were hell-bent on making me look like crap. And because I was a girl, they wanted to dent my pride more."**_

_A twelve-year-old Ichigo barely gave a yelp as one of the thugs was brutally socking her face, her jawbone snapping in different directions and blood bleeding from her gums. The guy in front of her, an afro-wearing man with iron knuckles, grabbed her by her hair and shoved her up the alley wall._

"_Say, boys! Why don't we get missy here some __**fun**__ out of this! What do you say, rat face? Wanna fuck?" he sneered as he grabbed the front of her shirt to tear it off. _

"_**But it was a good thing Chad came at the right time."**_

_A cinder block was suddenly thrown in the air and hit the man square in the head. He howled with pain and dropped Ichigo, the latter spiting out blood and staring at the scene with a confused/mad look as Chad took the punches the thugs were giving him. No matter how hard the blow, the tall Mexican stood statute-still, as if he couldn't feel the pain._

_And for one of the very few times of her life, Ichigo felt a feeling of respect._

"_**And that's how I met Chad. Every since then, I've known that Chad never fights back. Not once. He's an odd guy, I'll admit that, but he's a cool guy at heart. If there's one thing I know about Chad, it's that he'll never hurt anything."**_

_(End of Flashback)_

* * *

><p>It was now mid-evening as Ichigo walked into her family's clinic. Her eyes widen as she saw her little sisters run around the clinic, dressed in little nurses.<p>

"Uh, hey? What's going on?" she asked. Yuzu paused with a clipboard in her arms.

"There was an accident at the corner of Maple St. A few people got hurt so daddy's calling for the hospital for some over-night rooms." explained one of the two twins. Ichigo nodded and she walked over to Isshin's office, said man was arguing with the local hospital via phone.

"Hey, dad. Anything I can do to help?" she asked, knowing a thing or two about healing injuries. Her father shook his head with a glare.

"No, no, no! First of all, you'll just get carried away. Second, I had no time to get you a little uniform like Karin and Yuzu's. So just sit in fetal position and stay on the ground." he growled as he ran out of the room. Ichigo grounded her teeth as steam fumed in her ears. She could have help if her dad gave her a chance. Didn't he even know about the good grades she got in Health Class? And what was with those stupid nurse outfits? Seriously, her dad could be a pedophile if he wanted to.

"Whoa! This guy is the most beat up! Ichigo, come here and help him onto the table!" yelled Isshin from the other room.

'_Oh, so __**now **__you want my help?'_ thought Ichigo sarcastically. Nonetheless, the fighter with light freckles on her cheeks ran to the other room, gasping as she saw it was Chad. Carefully as she could, she helped her tall friend onto the medical table, noticing the bird cage in his hands. A sudden surge of spiritual pressure went through her veins and Karin caught her eyes, feeling the same pressure her older sister had.

After a few minutes later, Isshin had Chad on the table, treating a huge scar that was still marred and bleeding, it's shape in a almost paw-like print, with huge claw marks to match. The black-haired man let out a long whistle as he applied the antiseptic.

"Damn, this is something else, young man. I suggest you take it easy for a few weeks, alright?" he asked. Chad suddenly got up and shrugged on his shirt.

"I'm fine. Thank you for-" he barely even made one more word as he suddenly fell to the floor, most likely from exhaustion. As Karin and Yuzu helped him up, Ichigo knew that the mark on her friend's back was something more then a accident. It was Hollow's work.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Ichigo got up and did her usual routine of getting ready for the day. Walking into the kitchen, the redhead smiled slightly at Yuzu as the hazel-haired girl prepared breakfast.<p>

"Morning, big sister." said the happy little girl as she served the food.

"Morning. Hey, where's Karin?" asked the elder sister. Yuzu gave a worried look.

"She said she wasn't feeling well, so she's still asleep." she said. Ichigo stirred the eggs on her plate for a while.

"Karin, sick? Since when are those two words used in the same sentence?" she asked, just as her father burst into the room.

"Ichigo! Chad's gone! He left his room!" he exclaimed. With widen eyes, Ichigo hopped from her seat and ran to the door.

"I'll go look for him!" she yelled as she ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Sprinting a for a good yards, Ichigo made a turn and Riku met her there, his own worried look on his face.

"Riku, do you have any idea where Chad is?" asked Ichigo as the two ran together. The shorter of the two shook his head frantically.

"No, and there's no word from the Soul Society either. He just has to be around he somewhere." he said. Ichigo noticed his bird-like hair style and something in her mind clicked.

"Wait, I bet Chad took that bird he had with him. Let me see if I can sense it's spiritual energy." said the carrot-top as she closed her eyes and looked into her conscious.

'_There's no way anyone can detect a spiritual energy that low. But maybe-' _Riku was cut of by her thoughts when Ichigo's eyes shot open and she made a quick grab for a liquid and almost-transparent ribbon that hovered in the air. With narrowed eyes, Ichigo chased after it and she started running down the other way.

"This way! Come on!" yelled the female. With a bewilder look, Riku chased after her, trying to catch up with her long sprinting legs.

"You sensed it?" asked the blackette as the two ran through the streets, cutting through allies and taking corners.

"Yeah, but I felt something weird, too. Like there's three other pressures around them. It makes no sense." mumbled Ichigo as she held onto the ribbon. Riku knotted his eyebrows and then he came to a quick halt when he spotted someone turning the corner near them.

"Hey, isn't that your sister?" he asked as the black-haired Kurosaki spotted the orange-haired Kurosaki. Karin gave a breathy cough and she almost looked helplessly to her sister.

"Big sis-" her eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head and she fell forward. In an instant, Ichigo caught her little sister and touched the back of her hands to Karin's forehead, drawing it back as she felt the warm and sweaty skin.

"Damn, what happened to you?" she asked the unconscious girl. Riku walked over and looked back at the temporary Soul Reaper.

"Take your sister home. I'll find Sado-san." he said. Ichigo stood up with her sister in her arms and she shook her head.

"No way. You still don't have your powers back. You'll get killed if there's a Hollow over there." she said. Riku still held a cool look.

"That doesn't matter. It's still my job to protect those from Hollows. Just take care of your sister, I'll be fine." he said seriously. Ichigo opened to argue but Karin gave a quiet moan of pain. Feeling pity in her heart, the big sister looked at Riku again before sighing and nodding.

"Fine. Just… Be careful, alright?" she asked. Riku nodded and with a spin of his heel, he ran after the nearly invisible ribbon. Lowering her eyes, Ichigo carried Karin bridal-style as she ran in the direction of their home. As the eldest of the Kurosaki children ran, Karin stirred in her arms.

"Ichi… Ichigo…" whispered Karin painfully, a pained look on her face. Ichigo looked down at her sister and gave a reassuring look.

"Hang on, Karin. Let me get you home." she said. What happened next bashed out all the surprises Ichigo had today. Karin's eyes opened weakly and a trickle of water ran down her cheek. Ichigo nearly tripped and she stopped running, looking at her little sister with wide eyes.

For the first time since Karin was a baby, the unthinkable happened. Karin was crying.

"Ichigo," whispered the dark-haired girl, turning her head and closing her eyes to prevent her tears from escaping. "There's a… A spirit of a little boy in the bird. He… Saw what happened to his mother… He saw her get killed…" she chocked as the water rushed down her cheeks. She coughed slightly before continuing. "Please… Help him, big sis… If you don't… He… He…" Karin gave another raspy breath before falling to sleep again. Ichigo stood there as the wind ruffled her hair.

"Karin…" she whispered, a sudden sadness weighing on her heart.

* * *

><p>'<em>Sh… Shit… Who'd though it would be… <em>_**Two **__Hollows…?'_ Riku thought to himself as he crouched lowly and glared at the two twisted looking creatures with anger. One was long and willow-like, a mane of brown fur around his neck and holding a knocked-out Orihime in it's grasp. Riku was surprised and wondered just how the heck the creature had caught her in a only a few short hours.

The second Hallow was larger and orangutan-like, a long tongue snaking out of it's mouth. The second Hollow chuckled at him.

"Hello, human. You seem good enough to eat. Would you mind if you let me and my friend take a bite out of you?" it asked teasingly, snapping it's jaws with it's tongue licking it's lips. Riku scowled and charged forward. Crackling, the Hollow raised it's clawed hands and swiped at the once Soul Reaper, who narrowly missed the attack. Rolling to his side, the raven-haired boy's eyes widen as the first Hollow charged at him, only to be stopped by a massive punch. Riku's eyes widen more.

"Sado-san!" he exclaimed as Chad landed on his feet, cracking his knuckles.

"New kid… Tell me where the enemy is…" said Chad in his calm and serious demeanor. Riku blinked for a second before seeing the Hollows come at them again.

"Right at us! Twelve o' clock!" he exclaimed. With amazing strength, Chad grabbed a lone block of thick wood and swung it straight, getting the two Hollows and catching Orihime. The first Hollow gave a his.

"Give her back! She is of my blood!" he yelled as he charged.

"Right on your left!" yelled Riku warningly. Chad swung his weapon and got the demon right in the nose. The creature gave a hiss and his pal charged past him, suddenly sprouting wings from it's back and soaring high into the air. Riku clenched his teeth.

"It's no good. The first Hollow was a Whole who's soul was disturbed and the second is called Screecher, a very powerful Hallow." he muttered. Screecher chuckled darkly and expanded it's wings, tiny leech-like creatures spouting from it and surrounding the two males.

"Correct, human. This Hollow here is one we found, lost and ready for it's first soul to munch on, while I was assigned to look over him and make sure he get what he was searching for." he chuckled. There was a serious of clicks and the Hollow looked to his side, howling with laughter as three of his leech creatures had Chad's cockatoo in their grasp.

"No…" mumbled Chad, his eyes turning clouded. Screecher chuckled again.

"That's right. We have bird-boy here. And unless you want him dead, you better do as we say." it said. The bird looked at them sadly.

"Please don't hurt them." he whispered. The Hollow laughed a dry laugh.

"No way in hell, kid. You know our deal. Just keep out of this and you'll get your mommy back." it sneered, looking back to the two men. " So why don't you two come quietly and become our next meal?" it asked, licking with it's long tongue. It's head was suddenly greeted by a foot as a round-house kick came and flew him to on opposite wall.

"Shut it, you bastard." muttered Ichigo, being the one who gave the kick. She looked to Riku and sighed. "Geez, I was right, you act _and _fight like a five-year-old." she muttered, walking over to Riku and helping him up. Giving a serious look, she said, " I'll handle me handle this. Today… I saw Karin cry. I don't want that to happen again." she muttered. Nodding with shock, Riku took his hand back and palmed Ichigo in the stomach, the latter's body falling to the ground and the Soul Reaper ready with her trusty katana.

The redhead turned and shot a glare and the two. "Fuck-tards like you… Make me sick. It's one thing to go after souls, but it's another thing when you put people _I _care about on the line." she muttered. She looked to the first Hollow. "If you care so much about her," she jerked her head in Orihime's direction, "then why attack? She's your blood, you gotta protect her, retard! And you," she shot dagger-like eyes at Screecher. "Lying to a kid about bring back their dead mom is the worst thing you could ever say!" she yelled, wielding out he weapon and charging. In a flash, she swung her bade and cut of the monster's tongue. Screecher hissed and yowled.

"You… You sliced off my tongue!" he yelled as his wounded mouth bled. Ichigo smirked and balanced her zanpakuto on her shoulder.

"Damn right I did. And now, it's time to slice off the rest of you!" she yelled. With great speed and agility, she leapt on walls on roofs, slugging her sword at the Hollow before the monster could miss it. She caught it across the face and in an instant, the monster was wounded. The ground suddenly gave a tremor-like shake and something dug out of the ground.

Large red doors with skeletons as handles came out of the ground, the doors opening as purple light and smoke swirled out of it. Giant metal chains shoot out of it and wrapped themselves around Screecher. The creature of soullessness gave a bellow as it was dragged into the doors. Ichigo barely gave a notice as she looked to the last Hollow and turned her blade to the handle.

"You, like Riku said, you're just a Whole. So let my purify you!" she yelled as she stamped the handle at the creature. It's ragged skin dusted and cleared away as the form of a boy with brown hair was now where it stood. Ichigo instantly recognized him.

"You're Orihime's brother, Sora. You died a while back, right?" she asked. Sora nodded and gave a grateful smile.

"Yes. I was so worried about my sister. But now, I can be at rest, knowing that she has a great friend like you to protect her. Thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo." he said as he was enveloped in a light blue light. In his place, a small raven flew away, chirping as it went. Ichigo sighed and turned to Riku and Chad, glad to see they were alright. She then walked to her larger friend and looked at Yuichi.

"It's time for you to pass on." she said. The bird looked down.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you all. I just… Really wanted to see my mama." he whispered. Something flashed in Ichigo's eyes before she gave a clam look.

"It's not your fault. You're just a kid. But hey, look on the bright side. We're all alright and when you pass over, you can see your parents." she said. The bird perked up a little and looked to Chad.

"Hey, Chad? Thank you, for everything." he said. Chad looked at the bird and gave a nod. He then paused and looked to the ground.

"Yuichi… When it's my time to pass… Can we talk like we use to?" he asked. As Ichigo stamped the now-ghost boy's head, he nodded, smiling.

"Definitely. Be seeing you." he said with a small wave as his from changed into a little black raven and flew into the sky. Ichigo walked over to her fallen body and she changed back into her human form, looking at Chad.

"Hey, Chad. You gonna be OK?" she asked. Chad looked up and nodded, standing up and cracking the tendons in his neck.

"Yes… Gotta go…" a very long pause. "… See you around, Ichigo…" he said, turning and walking away.

"Can we trust him not to say anything?" asked Riku. Ichigo nodded and cracked her knuckles.

"Yeah, Chad knows that there are some things in this world that shouldn't be said. And Riku?… I'll do it." she said. Riku looked at her before his eyes widen in with understanding.

"Are you serious? You'll do it?" he asked, a grin nearly on his lips. Ichigo turned to him with narrowed eyes and a firm nod.

"Yeah. But as soon as you get your powers back, it's done. I'm only doing this for the ones I care about, alright? Starting today, I'm a substitute."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at the Kurosaki home, Karin let out a tiny smile in her sleep.<p>

"Thanks… Big sis…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>TO BE CONTINUED<strong>_

**Ta-da! The second chapter is done! I know a lot of things were changed but hey, that's how you get a story like this to work, you gotta make it work in the way you can. I feel like I should have added some more time with Orihime but I personally think the story went well without her as much since Ichigo is a girl. Don't me wrong, Orihime is sweet and all but I personally think she's not too smart in common sense. Now, I hope you will all be kind enough to review, that's what keeps this story alive. See you all later!**

**This is me saying, Peace!**


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